BYU-Idaho Radio · Born of Fire and Shaped by Water
Ashton’s Mesa Falls is a great destination for a breathtaking view.
A great place to begin your adventure is at the Upper Mesa Falls. You pay a $5 cash parking fee, and then you can get on your way!
You can stop by the visitor center, Big Falls Inn, which has information on the history of the falls and a gift shop.
To get to the Upper Falls, you’ll only have to take a five minute walk for an up close view of the falls.
While you’re at the Upper Falls, you can hike the two mile nature trail. It starts at the parking lot and ends just above the Lower Mesa Falls. This is the best way to see the Lower Falls.
The falls themselves were born of fire and shaped by water. The formation of the falls began over a million years ago. A volcano erupted and covered Eastern Idaho in ash, which solidified into rock. Water began flowing, and carved its way through the rock, creating the canyon you can see today.
I talked to several visitors, and they had glowing things to say.
“I love the sounds that are here. I love water and just being around it, plus just going out here and being more in nature. It just feels awesome and it’s a great time,” said Dallin Wagner.
“If you added a few animals here it would be really nice, but it’s easy access. Crowds are not bad at all and it’s just a nice view. Well worth the visit,” said David Adams.
You can find more information about Mesa Falls here.